According to a post in USA Today's Faith & Reason blog citing Politico, president-elect Obama has been hitting the gym the past several Sundays in lieu of going to church.
The post does a good job of linking not only to the original article but also some interesting outside sites, including a USA Today topic list on Rev. Jeremiah Wright and statistics on non-church-goers.
The topic, with the question raised at the end, started a respectful discussion on the comment board.
Whether that's because the blog's readers are level-headed, or because the comments are moderated is uncertain.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
USAToday football blogs
Sundays mean football and USAToday.com has two prominent football blogs, Game On and The Huddle, both of which are run by senior sports writers and cover chatter from internal and outside sources that may not otherwise be published.
Both add a different dimension to watching football, as the one updates scores and injury news on gameday, while the other covers college and pro football.
Both do a nice job of quickly summarizing news items from sources around the country, as well as pointing readers to stories in USA Today.
Both add a different dimension to watching football, as the one updates scores and injury news on gameday, while the other covers college and pro football.
Both do a nice job of quickly summarizing news items from sources around the country, as well as pointing readers to stories in USA Today.
Newest Rhodes Scholar is a student-athlete
Florida State safety Myron Rolle had a long weekend.
The Miami Herald has a story following Rolle throughout Friday and Saturday, from winning a Rhodes Scholarship in Alabama to playing in FSU's 37-3 trouncing of Maryland at College Park, Maryland.
It's a vivid telling of the days' events and relates Rolle's experiences as a football player and student. I have two major gripes, though:
The Miami Herald has a story following Rolle throughout Friday and Saturday, from winning a Rhodes Scholarship in Alabama to playing in FSU's 37-3 trouncing of Maryland at College Park, Maryland.
It's a vivid telling of the days' events and relates Rolle's experiences as a football player and student. I have two major gripes, though:
- The article never mentions the outcome of the game, let alone whether Rolle actually played (he did).
-and- - There was no video or multimedia outside of a single photo.
The article could have benefited greatly from a video of the scene of Rolle's police escort or at least a photo gallery. Maybe no cameras were allowed in the ceremonies, but photos there also would have helped.
And I understand the article was probably written for the front page (I haven't gotten a chance to look at the real paper), which means it's directed toward a more general audience, but to leave readers with Rolle arriving at the game leaves too many questions unanswered to feel any kind of closure at the end.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
High school football highlights on MiamiHerald.com
This year, the Miami Herald is partnering with Recruitflix.com to offer high school football video highlights online.
Check out the highlights from yesterday's Northwestern-Columbus playoff game.
The local newspaper is still one of the only places for parents and fans to get their high school football news, so this should be a valuable resource for the website.
Check out the highlights from yesterday's Northwestern-Columbus playoff game.
The local newspaper is still one of the only places for parents and fans to get their high school football news, so this should be a valuable resource for the website.
Help determine Obama's agenda
A recent Miami Herald article detailed Obama's plans to not only broadcast his weekly address on YouTube, but also to appoint the first-ever Chief Technology Officer.
The most intriguing part of his plans is the idea of running a website where citizens can vote on policy issues and bring up issues that should be considered.
An example of such a website is online now. The most votes (over 11,000 for the first-place option) have come in on what the CTO's priorities should be.
The website isn't run by the Obama campaign, rather a civic software company, but is an example of what the Obama administration could use to dialoge with the American people.
The most intriguing part of his plans is the idea of running a website where citizens can vote on policy issues and bring up issues that should be considered.
An example of such a website is online now. The most votes (over 11,000 for the first-place option) have come in on what the CTO's priorities should be.
The website isn't run by the Obama campaign, rather a civic software company, but is an example of what the Obama administration could use to dialoge with the American people.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Bryan Pata update
ESPN's Outside the Lines recently featured a story updating the Bryan Pata murder case from two years ago.
It's a tough story to watch but the production is well done and the interview is poignant.
The cuts to clips of Pata playing are in logical spots, and the camera stays on his mother at the right moments to capture her emotion.
It's a tough story to watch but the production is well done and the interview is poignant.
The cuts to clips of Pata playing are in logical spots, and the camera stays on his mother at the right moments to capture her emotion.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
If NPR can reinvent itself...
The American Journalism Review recently ran a story about NPR's transition from radio-focused to online multimedia-focused. They're sending journalists through a five-week intensive training program to teach them skills for producing for the web.
NPR is just about the last media organization I would expect to "get it," but if they can realize the need for a shift toward new techniques, why aren't certain others quick to jump on board too?
NPR is just about the last media organization I would expect to "get it," but if they can realize the need for a shift toward new techniques, why aren't certain others quick to jump on board too?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
New president, new media
The Miami Herald recently featured a video story telling of President-elect Obama's plan to broadcast his weekly radio address on YouTube.
For the American public, this seems like a great idea as it helps him stay accountable and it allows the public to directly view his speeches. But for the traditional media, this could mean consumers who ordinarily get their presidential coverage in the newspapers or broadcast media would be able to get it free on YouTube.
For the American public, this seems like a great idea as it helps him stay accountable and it allows the public to directly view his speeches. But for the traditional media, this could mean consumers who ordinarily get their presidential coverage in the newspapers or broadcast media would be able to get it free on YouTube.
Opinion articles vs. reader comments
Opinion pages have been an important aspect of newspapers since the Hearst era. But now that articles are online and readers are given the chance to respond below the article, the question of the opinion's impact emerges.
In Israel Gutierrez's recent article on the Hurricanes' win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, readers lit him up on everything from changing his opinion earlier in the season to holding an SEC bias (and those are just the ones clean enough to note). One reader even directed fans to "fire israel gutierrez dot com," though it doesn't look like that website exists. I couldn't find a single comment saying anything positive about the article or the writer.
Which begs the question: what is an opinion writer's job? Is it to fit the prevailing opinion of the audience? Is it to offer his or her opinion, no matter how unpopular?
And if people read the writer's articles but disagree, is that still good for business?
I've been told two things about reader comments: 1) Don't pay attention to them, commenting is just a way for people to semi-anonymously post opinions they would never put their name behind, or 2) Read them since your readers are your reason for existing as a writer.
So which is it?
In Israel Gutierrez's recent article on the Hurricanes' win over the Virginia Tech Hokies, readers lit him up on everything from changing his opinion earlier in the season to holding an SEC bias (and those are just the ones clean enough to note). One reader even directed fans to "fire israel gutierrez dot com," though it doesn't look like that website exists. I couldn't find a single comment saying anything positive about the article or the writer.
Which begs the question: what is an opinion writer's job? Is it to fit the prevailing opinion of the audience? Is it to offer his or her opinion, no matter how unpopular?
And if people read the writer's articles but disagree, is that still good for business?
I've been told two things about reader comments: 1) Don't pay attention to them, commenting is just a way for people to semi-anonymously post opinions they would never put their name behind, or 2) Read them since your readers are your reason for existing as a writer.
So which is it?
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Still photo and audio project on the Frost Symphony Orchestra Violin section
Check out this audio-photo slideshow I did on the violin section of Frost Symphony Orchestra. It's a rough cut but let me know what you think.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Journalists' blogs
I've always found different journalists' blogs interesting, seeing what they choose to cover.
In the little-known case of mental_floss magazine (a witty intellectual's dream) writer Ethan Trex, his side project is a blog updated daily with pictures of fans in obscure professional athletes' jerseys, fittingly called Straight Cash Homey Dot Net.
Instead of offering a blog explaining how he comes up with articles, or for posting rumblings that aren't fit for publication yet, Trex decided to do something random that his readers (again, mostly sarcastic intellectuals) might enjoy.
From the amount of comments, I'd say he has a decent following though.
In the little-known case of mental_floss magazine (a witty intellectual's dream) writer Ethan Trex, his side project is a blog updated daily with pictures of fans in obscure professional athletes' jerseys, fittingly called Straight Cash Homey Dot Net.
Instead of offering a blog explaining how he comes up with articles, or for posting rumblings that aren't fit for publication yet, Trex decided to do something random that his readers (again, mostly sarcastic intellectuals) might enjoy.
From the amount of comments, I'd say he has a decent following though.
Yahoo's article viewer
When I clicked on an article on the Yahoo! front page titled "Palin fires back at critics," I was expecting a long article. When I saw that it was only one browser page long, I was thinking it was a brief they'd expound upon later.
But the four-line article ended abruptly, so I was confused until I saw the small "Read full article" button on the bottom right. When you click, it expands the article all the way down the page so you can read to the end. Otherwise, the article takes up the first window and links to similar content are right below the truncated article.
I guess this is Yahoo's way of catering to the crowd who only wants to skim the first couple paragraphs of an article and move on.
If it's new (I don't go to Yahoo for news often so they could have added it 3 years ago for all I know), it's an interesting concession to scanners and really not too much of an inconvenience to readers who want the full article. We'll see how it pans out in the visitors' minds.
But the four-line article ended abruptly, so I was confused until I saw the small "Read full article" button on the bottom right. When you click, it expands the article all the way down the page so you can read to the end. Otherwise, the article takes up the first window and links to similar content are right below the truncated article.
I guess this is Yahoo's way of catering to the crowd who only wants to skim the first couple paragraphs of an article and move on.
If it's new (I don't go to Yahoo for news often so they could have added it 3 years ago for all I know), it's an interesting concession to scanners and really not too much of an inconvenience to readers who want the full article. We'll see how it pans out in the visitors' minds.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Amendment articles
With the polls opening in less than a day, most people have in mind who they're going to vote for for president, if they vote at all. But there are other important races and issues to be decided, including six proposed amendments to the state constitution.
The Miami Herald has articles available online about each of the amendments, and Sunday ran a brief summary of each amendment. The six individual articles break down each amendment with voices of opposition and support, where applicable.
There is no multimedia coverage related to the amendments, though the only thing I think would add anything would be a "man on the street"-style video asking civilians what they
think.
The Miami Herald has articles available online about each of the amendments, and Sunday ran a brief summary of each amendment. The six individual articles break down each amendment with voices of opposition and support, where applicable.
There is no multimedia coverage related to the amendments, though the only thing I think would add anything would be a "man on the street"-style video asking civilians what they
think.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
More than your typical crossword
For those who are incredibly bored and looking for a way to lower productivity at work, USAToday.com offers a litany of games in its arcade.
You can find anything from your expected daily crossword or Sudoku to free trials of intricate online games. My favorite I saw is one called "Jammed Again," a mind game testing your ability to escape various maze-like traffic jams.
Now, this isn't online journalism per se, but when you're weary of reading 283rd election article this week, maybe it's a good feature for a site like this one to have.
You can find anything from your expected daily crossword or Sudoku to free trials of intricate online games. My favorite I saw is one called "Jammed Again," a mind game testing your ability to escape various maze-like traffic jams.
Now, this isn't online journalism per se, but when you're weary of reading 283rd election article this week, maybe it's a good feature for a site like this one to have.
USAToday.com photo galleries
The photos in USA Today are noted for being top-quality, so the photo galleries its website offers should match in presentation.
Links to the most recent photo galleries are found on the home page requiring a slight scroll down from the main window view.
Unfortunately, there is no link to a photo gallery section, but the individual galleries, including a daily "The day in pictures" gallery and other often-updated galleries are linked to.
Navigation through the Flash interface is pretty seamless, with left and right buttons alongside each photo's brief description.
There is even a reader-submitted gallery of cars, which includes hand-picked pictures that look like they easily could have been professionally shot.
A separate page with links to all the recent galleries would be useful, especially since links only remain on the home page for a day, but otherwise I enjoy the website's presentation of photos.
Links to the most recent photo galleries are found on the home page requiring a slight scroll down from the main window view.
Unfortunately, there is no link to a photo gallery section, but the individual galleries, including a daily "The day in pictures" gallery and other often-updated galleries are linked to.
Navigation through the Flash interface is pretty seamless, with left and right buttons alongside each photo's brief description.
There is even a reader-submitted gallery of cars, which includes hand-picked pictures that look like they easily could have been professionally shot.
A separate page with links to all the recent galleries would be useful, especially since links only remain on the home page for a day, but otherwise I enjoy the website's presentation of photos.
Guess I won't be going to USAToday.com for my Miami Hurricanes football coverage...
Not that a national publication like USA Today should be all over every major college football team, but the paper's website offers only one broken link to a story on yesterday's Miami-Virginia football game.
This highlights the difficulties of running a massive website like this. Keeping thousands of links active daily is a heady job, and mistakes do happen. But in cases like this, they better be fixed quickly lest the technical issues anger fickle readers into not returning.
USA Today redeems itself a little, however, with an article by Tim Reynolds about the Hurricanes' return to bowl eligibility, which vividly details the final drive in regulation Saturday.
Still, if I was a Canes fan looking through the site's already convoluted list of game recaps from Saturday and saw this non-working link, I probably wouldn't be too relieved to have to dig to find anything else Miami-related.
This highlights the difficulties of running a massive website like this. Keeping thousands of links active daily is a heady job, and mistakes do happen. But in cases like this, they better be fixed quickly lest the technical issues anger fickle readers into not returning.
USA Today redeems itself a little, however, with an article by Tim Reynolds about the Hurricanes' return to bowl eligibility, which vividly details the final drive in regulation Saturday.
Still, if I was a Canes fan looking through the site's already convoluted list of game recaps from Saturday and saw this non-working link, I probably wouldn't be too relieved to have to dig to find anything else Miami-related.
USAToday.com's interactive election coverage
USAToday.com features a small election section nestled under the main story on the home page.
Included are a presidential poll tracker, electoral vote tracker, campaign finance tracker, campaign ad tracker and debate tracker.
Although most of these special features are Flash-driven interfaces similar to what can be found on countless other media websites, two in particluar are worth noting.
The campaign finance tracker lets you see how much each candidate (or party, or independent committee) has raised, and where the money is coming from by state, amount of donation, and occupation sector of donor. There is also an in-depth explanation of accounting rules and donation guidelines at the bottom. This page is pretty interesting and shows everything in a clear interface.
Another nice feature is the campaign ad tracker. It lets you watch the ad if it's a TV spot, and breaks down the content of the ad, including any rebuttals from the other side. It also links to more USA Today coverage of the ad and offers a poll on how accurate and effective readers think the ad is. I like this coverage, alth0ugh it needs to be updated more often as it's missing several from the last month.
Included are a presidential poll tracker, electoral vote tracker, campaign finance tracker, campaign ad tracker and debate tracker.
Although most of these special features are Flash-driven interfaces similar to what can be found on countless other media websites, two in particluar are worth noting.
The campaign finance tracker lets you see how much each candidate (or party, or independent committee) has raised, and where the money is coming from by state, amount of donation, and occupation sector of donor. There is also an in-depth explanation of accounting rules and donation guidelines at the bottom. This page is pretty interesting and shows everything in a clear interface.
Another nice feature is the campaign ad tracker. It lets you watch the ad if it's a TV spot, and breaks down the content of the ad, including any rebuttals from the other side. It also links to more USA Today coverage of the ad and offers a poll on how accurate and effective readers think the ad is. I like this coverage, alth0ugh it needs to be updated more often as it's missing several from the last month.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)